In the wake of the tumultuous scandal at Penn State University, Michigan State University President Lou Anna K. Simon has made it clear to her employees what their positions and duties obligate them to do in cases of sexual assault and abuse.

In an email sent Thursday to the university's more than 11,000 faculty and staff, Simon reminded workers that MSU protocol mandates them to immediately report cases of suspected child abuse, sexual assault and child pornography to the campus police department.

"The University strives to offer a safe and supportive learning and working environment for all individuals," Simon writes in the email. "In support of that goal, the University has reporting protocols for its employees with respect to certain conduct. As we begin the start of another academic year, I write to remind University employees about the reporting protocols for suspected child abuse, child pornography, and allegations of sexual assault."

Jason Cody, a spokesperson for the university, said the protocols outlined in Simon's email "long have been in place for employees." He declined to comment as to whether the email would have been sent had the situation at Penn State not unfolded over the course of the past several months.